MQFF REVIEW: Rosie (2013, Dir. Marcel Gisler)

Writer-gay, Lorenz (Fabian Krüger) returns to provincial Switzerland from Berlin to care for his ailing alcoholic mother, Rosie (Sibylle Brunner), after she survives a minor stroke. The incorrigible old woman proves a handful for Lorenz and his sister Sophie (Judith Hofmann) as they try to juggle their own commitments, Lorenz his latest book tour and Sophie her crumbling family situation. Help comes in the form of Mario (Sebastian Ledesma) the grandson of an old family friend, who also happens to be a hot gay fanboy of Lorenz's.

Marcel Gisler's superbly crafted social drama overflows with excellent performances and honest, wonderfully observed familial tension. Brunner is exceptional as Rosie. She picks up the intricacies of the personal networks we call family and plays them like a master. With her daughter she's heel-diggingly snappy, with her son she's freer, more open, and a hell of a lot funnier. Both those relationships twist through, especially in relation to Rosie's alcohol intake and and the sore point of her infidelity to her late husband.

Krüger is excellent too, though his character is far less sympathetic. He's painted into a corner by his irksome, understated narcissism, which is beautifully drawn out by Ledesma's pitch-perfect romantic foil. Their romantic negotiations and Mario's gradual sidling into Rosie's home bring another layer of honesty to Gisler's film.

What's most impressive is how all encompassing Rosie's narrative is. Gisler and his co-writer Rudolf Nadler overstep the boundaries of a traditional queer film, taking in thematic concerns that wouldn't usually enter the mind of a gay screenwriter let alone be so elegantly blended through. Though Lorenz's homosexuality and his romantic entanglements make up a relatively minor part of the film, their impact is felt throughout and are integral to the film's emotional climax.

Rosie is a rare film and one that deserves to be seen by a far wider audience than will probably be drawn in by its un-sexy premise. It is a heartfelt, funny, moving and ultimately extremely perceptive piece of cinema. Well worth a look.

★★★★

Trailer:

Rosie screened as part of the 2014 Melbourne Queer Film Festival.